Ah, mushrooms. You either love them or you don't. I personally love them! Stuffed portabella mushrooms can usually be found as an appetizer of a restaurant’s menu. Traditionally layered with cheese or other high-calorie foods, I often find myself deprived of this yummy meal-starter. Not today though! With food items I needed to use from my fridge, I discovered a healthy recipe that your friends and family will love! And did you know that they are packed with nutritional value? At just about 20 calories per one cup, this veggie won’t disappoint your goal of a healthy new year.

Are you looking for more bone strength? Mushrooms provide phosphorus to your meals to help maintain healthy bones and teeth. They also provide B vitamins. One of them is niacin, which helps metabolize the food we eat into energy. But putting the nutritional benefits aside, these chickpea-filled mushrooms are a great way to pack in some plant-protein too. You can either leave the chickpeas whole or you can smash them to easily fill your mushrooms.

Let me know what you think!

Servings: Serves 2Total Time: 25 - 30 minutesMeal Type: Appetizer

Ingredients

1 - 8oz box of baby portabella mushrooms

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small leek, chopped

1 large clove of garlic, finely minced

Dash of chili flakes (optional)

1 cup cooked garbanzo beans, roughly chopped

1 small zucchini, finely diced

1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

¼ teaspoon oregano

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F and remove stems from portabella mushrooms.

Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel.

In a small pan, heat olive oil over medium heat and add leeks and garlic (and chili flakes if you’d like). Stir for about 1 minute. Then add the rest of the ingredients and cook for about 3 – 5 minutes.

Brush or spray the mushrooms with a little bit of olive oil (or cooking spray) and assemble on a glass baking dish. Add 1 – 2 tablespoons of the garbanzo mixture to the mushrooms.